Lance-Corporal William Amey VC

The 8th Battalion were part of 75th Brigade whose task it was to secure the bridgehead on the Sambre. The Warwicks were ordered to capture Fauborg Sayer at Landrecies and the lock on the canal. It was foggy on 4th Nov 1918, and there were enemy machine gun posts slowing the advance. Amey led his section against one of these positions under heavy fire, and drove the Germans into a neighbouring farm. They captured 50 prisoners and several machine guns. Later he attacked another machine gun post at a farmhouse single-handedly, killing two and driving the rest into a cellar until help arrived. Again he rushed another strongly held post on his own and captured 20 or 30 more Germans. His actions made the capture of Fauborg Sayer possible and there was no question that he was deserving of the VC.
William Amey was born in Duddeston, Birmingham on 5th March 1881. He was 37 at the time of his heroism. He was promoted to Corporal and went to Buckingham Palace to receive his VC from the King, on 22nd Feb 1919. The 8th Battalion were demobilised in Birmingham on 1st Aug 1919. Amey lived in Leamington Spa and died there on 28th May 1940.

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